KARACHI  - The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday ordered the law enforcers to trace out and produce five missing men who have allegedly been kidnapped by the Rangers personnel.
Headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar, the division bench was seized with five petitions, seeking whereabouts of missing persons. The bench issued notices to Sindh Home Department Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Rangers Director General and other respondents to file comments regarding whereabouts of the missing men.
The court along with respondents issued notice to prosecutor general of Sindh and put off the hearing till March 20.
Petitioner Nusrat Jahan approached the court, alleging that his son Babar Ahmed about 30 years was picked up by the Ranger officials on the March 5. She stated that she filed an application at Brigade police station but neither they lodged any FIR in this regard nor made any effort to locate her son.
Meanwhile, another petition was filed by Asma Kanwal, submitting that her brother Muhammad Shakir about 30 years old, resident of Khudadad Colony, was whisked away on March 5 by the Ranger officials without any plausible reason.
Petitioner Uzma Aftab stated that her husband Aftab Aslam was also picked up on February 13 by the Rangers officials from their house without giving any credible reasons.
Petitioner Hamida alleged that her son Noman was picked up by Ranger officials on March 6 from her residence in Landhi.
Khalid Pervaiz approached to court submitting that whereabouts of his nephew had not been known to him since March 2. The petitioners prayed to court to direct the respondents to produce the missing men in the court.
Meanwhile, non Governmental Organisation Pastban head Altaf Shakoor said extreme caution is needed at every level in handling issues related to blasphemy. "However, under no condition does Islam approve generalised reaction and targeting any one who is not party to the crime," said the activist expressing his solidarity with the victims of the Badami Bagh incident in Lahore.
Similarly, he said taking law into hand and resorting to violence against any specific community is also not condoned under Islam. "Accusations have to be properly established and if proven then only "the perpetrator" of crime can be penalised, that also by an enabled body of jurists and scholars who understand Islamic jurisprudence," said Altaf Shakoor.
The Pasban chief said the bomb explosion in a mosque in Peshawar and arson at the Christian colony in Lahore are a sequel to disband communal harmony," he said.
The activist said this was in a scenario when common citizens of the country hold nothing against each other and do maintain cordial working relations with each other.
"It is therefore high time that all Pakistanis, particularly youth, join hands and combat elements behind these anti-state activities," he said.